France begins disarming fighters in Central African Republic

French forces deployed to Central African Republic's capital Bangui have started disarming Muslim and Christian fighters as foreign minister warns soldiers "will use force" if they meet any resistance

A man attacks an alleged ex seleka rebel arrested by French soldiers in BanguiPhoto: AFP

By Henry Samuel in Paris

9:24PM GMT 09 Dec 2013

French troops in the Central African Republic on Monday began the delicate task of disarming rival Muslim and Christian fighters, as the country’s foreign minister warned soldiers would use force if they encountered resistance.

Shooting erupted near the airport in the capital Bangui after gunmen responsible for hundreds of killings in recent days refused to hand over their weapons.

France boosted its military presence in its former colony to 1,600 troops over the weekend to stem spiralling inter-religious violence that some officials warned could lead to genocide. At least 459 people have been killed in Bangui alone since Thursday, according to local Red Cross officials.

“This is not an easy job, but our soldiers are ... well prepared,” Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, told France Inter radio.

“The problem is that many of the former Seleka (rebels) have traded their uniforms for civilian clothes... and it is difficult to identify individuals,” he said on France Inter radio.

He said the order to disarm had been broadcast on local radio in Bangui, adding: “If that is not enough, force is going to be employed.”

The country’s interim president Michel Djotodia, a former Seleka rebel leader who commands little authority over fighters, on Monday urged his countrymen to cooperate with the French forces, who have come to reinforce a 2,500-strong African Union peacekeeping mission.

Gilles Jaron, a French military spokesman, said some fighters had already disarmed.

“Things are going fairly well,” Mr Jaron told AFP in Paris. “In some cases, the armed groups have withdrawn and gone back to their barracks, in others they have given up their arms,” he said.

The Central African Republic, or CAR, descended into chaos after mainly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in March and embarked on months of looting, raping and killing.

On Monday morning, troops briefly exchanged gunfire with armed men near the country’s international airport, but no casualties were reported.

Som locals have tentatively started to come out of hiding.

“We have started to go out because the French are here,” said Arlette Papaye, a local tradeswoman.

“We had remained holed up in our homes and cellars. We are hungry. The French must chase out the Seleka.”

However, the United Nations said it had counted some 72,000 people displaced by the violence currently staying in various sites around the city, including at the airport, where French troops and African peacekeepers have their base.

“There are still conflicts in some neighbourhoods. There’s still killing,” said Amy Martin, head of the UN aid agency OCHA in Bangui. “For now, we don’t have the sentiment that people are ready to go home.”